Senzo Meyiwa Trial | Accused number 1 claims he didn’t know co-accused, details alleged police assault

Muzi Sibiya, the first accused in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, testified in the Pretoria High Court that he did not know one of his co-accused, Mthobisi Mncube, when they first appeared in court together in 2020.

The trial, which has now entered a critical phase, follows nearly two months of preparation by the defence. It marks a significant chapter in the ongoing investigation into the 2014 killing of Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa.

Five men — Muzi Sibiya, Bongani Ntanzi, Mthobisi Mncube, Mthokoziseni Maphisa, and Fisokuhle Ntuli — are on trial for Meyiwa’s murder.

Sibiya is the first defence witness to take the stand. He maintains his innocence and alleges that he was coerced into signing a confession through intimidation and physical assault by police officers.

He also detailed his associations with the other co-accused, stating that while he was familiar with three of them due to geographic and family ties, he had never met Mncube prior to their court appearance in October 2020.

Sibiya further elaborated his relationship with the other three co-accused.

“Ntanzi’s village is not far from mine. So people from my village know people from his village even though we’re not close with each other. Maphisa is from my maternal side where she was born so whenever I went to my mom’s home I would see Maphisa. I am related to Ntuli from my mother’s side, however from a distance. He calls my mom aunty,” said Sibiya.

Sibiya said his first encounter with police investigating the 2014 murder of Senzo Meyiwa took place in 2019.

He explained that while sitting outside a shop in Tembisa’s Vusimuzi section, he was approached by two law enforcement officers — identified as Mrs. Baloyi and Mr. Mdau — who arrived in a taxi.

“There was about five of us gents sitting in front of the shop when this taxi suddenly appeared which then swung its sliding door open. Soon after the taxi stopped, officials wearing civilian clothes jumped out, whipped out, and bridged their firearms,” Sibiya explained.

Sibiya said he attempted to flee out of fear of being shot, but was quickly apprehended by one of the officers, who grabbed him from behind by his shirt. He was then handcuffed with his hands behind his back while lying on the ground.

He claims he was forcefully placed into the taxi, which was being driven by a uniformed police officer, before being taken to an office in Kloorkop. There, he was instructed to sit on the floor and respond to a series of questions.

“They asked what I know about Senzo Meyiwa’s death and then I replied by saying I don’t know anything. They then stated to me that I killed Senzo and then I disagreed and said I never killed him,” said Sibiya.

Sibiya believes police suspected him of involvement in Meyiwa’s murder because he moved from Vosloorus to Tembisa shortly after the incident. However, he told officers the move was due to losing his job and seeking new opportunities.

He further alleges that during his interrogation, officers placed a plastic bag over his head and trampled him while he was lying on the ground.

Sibiya said he was then taken to another office, where he was questioned by four other officials — whom he identified as Sibiya, Makhubo, Leshabane, and Constable Zungu. He claims they also accused him of involvement in the murder, which he repeatedly denied.

“They took my fingerprints and then told me that should they find that my fingerprints link me to the murder, they will then come back to charge me with the murder. I was then taken to Tembisa South Police Station where they charged me with drug dealing. I slept there until the day I had to appear in court,” he said.

He said he was re-arrested in May of 2020, where he claims to have been assaulted again at the Tembisa Police Station.

He alleges that police officers suffocated him by covering his face with a plastic bag, trampled on him while he was handcuffed, and beat him until he lost control of his bladder.

He further testified that he was never informed of his rights and claimed that the lead investigator in the case, Brigadier Bongani Gininda, told him there was reason to believe he was involved in the murder of the Bafana Bafana captain.

Sibiya will be back on the stand on Tuesday.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao